Game device



Aug. 6, 1935. c. w. KEMPER El AL GAME DEVICE Filed July 16. 1934INVENTORS CHARLES w. KsMPne ATTORNEYS.

Q UNITED STATE Patented Aug. 6, 1935 GAME Charles W. Kemper PATENToFFicE DEVICE and John T. Kemper,

Hayward, Calif.

" Application July 16, 1934, Serial No. 735,414

14 Claims.

This invention relates to game devices and has for its object a rotarygame mechanism of the revolving disk ball-throwing type, to which ballsor marbles may be fed one at a time from below the disk and all may bedropped below for replaying, also such a device in which the marbles arealways covered by a sheet of glass while playing, also such a devicewhich facilitates the playing of a plurality of games through changingof insignia around the disk. Other features and advantages of theinvention will appear in the following description and accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rotatable disk and upperpart of the device.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross section of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective section of portion of thedevice as seen from the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. l is an enlarged fragmentary perspective section of portion of thedevice as seen from the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the inner end of themarble-shooting gun.

Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 5.

In further detail, the device comprises a base I on which is a sheetmetal housing 2, preferably circular in form and above which is acircular rotatable head portion which includes a rim 3, a relativelywide marginal flange 4, a centrifugal disk 5 having a central apertureup through which the marbles 6 are forced one by one for playing, and aglass disk I spaced above disk 5 sufliciently to permit the marbles toroll freely.

The rotatable head is preferably made of sheet metal and is providedwith a central inverted hub 8 revolvably fitting over a fixed tube 9 andresting on a grooved type step ball bearing .ID in turn supported on afixed pedestal ll secured within the housing 2, while centrally withinthe pedestal H is a ball or marble duct 9 taking the form of a verticaltube with its lower end l2 curved to align with and receive marbles fromthe inner end of a spring plunger gun I3 provided with an operating knobl4 outside of the housing 2 and which knob is on the outer end of thegun plunger I5 so that it may be drawn outward against the pressure of aspiral spring Hi to permit a marble 6' to fall from the marble gravityreturn chute l1 through a side opening into the gun for ejection up thetube and, due to the limited movement provided by the plunger,

to eject one marble at a time from the upper end of the ductto fall overonto the disk 5.

The standing column of marbles in the duct is prevented fromfalling-when the gun plunger is drawn outwardly, by reason of a pair ofspring jaws H3 at the inner end of the gun resiliently drawn toward oneanother as by springs Ill-20 to slightly close behind each ball as it isurged forward through the jaws by the gun plunger.

The chute IT is of spiral form running around the inside of housing 2and open on top to receive any number of marbles from the periphery ofthe disk 5 above upon opening a peripheral shutter or ring 2| which isapertured at spaced points 22 to correspond with apertures 23 in thedisk when the shutter is shifted in a rotary direction as by a smallhandle 24 projecting from the side of rim portion 3. Also around theperiphery of the disk 5, are spaced stalls for the marbles to find'rest,formed of triangular blocks or members 25 and under which the openings22 of the shutter 2i move when the shutter is moved to closed positionshown in the drawing. The blocks are provided on their inner apices withsmall notches 26 large enough to catch or stop a marble underextraordinary conditions only. The-stalls or pockets between the blocksare numbered from I to- I2 in sequence on the disk 5, as indicated, andthe disk is also preferably radially'sectioned oil in color as indicatedat 21. A feature of the disk of considerable importance is its form seenin vertical section as in Fig. 2 and wherein it is lowest at the extremeedge at 5 and raised within that point at 5" and gently lowered at 5".This makes the marbles hesitate on the revolving disk, roll back andforth, hesitate, and then finally go over the high portion 5" in anerratic way without increasing the speed of the disk.

To provide for playing several games with the device the rims isapertured at spaced points 28 and beneath it is a revolvable sheet metalring 29 provided with a little extending finger grip or knob 30 withwhich it may be circumferentially shifted to thereby bring to view inthe peripheral openings 28 of the flange 4 any of several sets of gameindicia, printed, painted, or pasted on the're'volvable ring 29, suchfor instance as a lot of dice faces, 3|, or playing card faces, take andan -"instructions, or prize numbers, as indicated in dotted lines 32under flange 4, or any other insignia desired to govern any special gamewhich can be played on a chance marble-throwing device of this kind.

In playing a game on the device, the players may each choose a pocket byits number opposite the indicia desired, and the one into which the mostmarbles fall when the disk is spun and. the gun operated will win, eachplayer to get a certain number of shots, or one player at a time maytake several shots to build up totals against the next player, orresults to abide the particular exposed indicia against which themarbles are found when the disk is stopped. There may be ten or moremarbles in the chute in addition to the standing column, and any desiredrules may be used in playing any of the games provided .Ior by theindicia on the marginal ring, also for such special event as a marblelodging in one. off the small notches 26.

The revolvable portion is twirledby handand.

will continue to revolve for a long time, yet is easily stopped byplacing a hand upon the'glass, and it makes an extremely fasoinatinggameas the result depends somewhat on the violence of the ejection of themarble, and the speed of-ro tation, as the erratic movements of themarbles on the disk before going over the high placei are influencedthereby.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on saidbase in a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portionincluding a disk witha central aperture, pockets around the periphery ofthe disk, and means for projecting balls upwardly through said apertureonto the disk for centrifugally flinging into said pockets as the headportion and its disk are spun.

2. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on saidbase in a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portionincluding a disk with a central aperture, pockets around the peripheryof the disk, and means for projecting balls upwardlythrough saidaperture onto the disk. for centrifugally flinging into said pockets asthe head portion and its disk are spun, said disk being slightly raisedadjacent said pockets so that the balls will remainin place when thehead portion isstopped.

3. A game device comprising a base, ahead portion supported on said basein a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portionincluding a disk with acentral aperture, pockets around the periphery ofthe disk, means for projecting balls upwardly through said aperture ontothe disk for centrifugally flinging into said pockets as the headportion and its'disk are spun, and means for dropping the balls fromsaid pockets to the ballprojecting means.

i. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on saidbasein a manner. for revolving in a horizontal plane,.said head portionincluding a disk with a central aperture, pockets around the peripheryof the disk; means for projecting balls upwardly through said apertureonto the disk for centrifugally flinginginto said pockets as the headportion andits disk are spun, and a glass sheet carried by said headportion spaced above saiddisk to permit free rolling. of the ballsbeneath.

5. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on saidbase in a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portionincluding a disk with a central aperture, pockets around the peripheryof the disk, means for projecting balls upwardly through said apertureonto the disk for centrifugally flinging into said pockets as the headportion and its disk are spun, and means for dropping the balls fromsaid pockets to the ball projecting means comprising a ring-like shuttermovable about the center of said disk and having spaced aperturesarranged to match spaced apertures in said disk as the shutter isturned.

6. In a structure as specified in claim 5, a spiral chute leading theballs to a lower point in single file to the ball projecting means.

7. In a structure as specified in claim 3, said ball projecting meanscomprising a plunger gun mountedbelow said disk arranged to receive andforce the balls upward as a standing column through the center of thedisk.

8. In a structure as specified in claim 3, said ball projecting meanscomprising a plunger gun mounted below'saiddisk arranged to receive andforce the balls upward as a standing column throughthe center of thedisk, and means holdingthe standing column of balls in place when thegun. plunger is retracted.

9. In a game device of the character described, a disk arranged torevolve in a horizontal plane, means for guiding. marbles to the centerof said disk. for throwing outward by centrifugal force, pockets spacedaround the disk to receive the marbles, said pockets defined byseparating walls, smaller pockets on the free ends of the walls of asize adapted to catch a marble under specially favorable chanceconditions only.

10. In a game device of the character described, a disk arranged torevolve in a horizontal plane, means for guiding marbles to the centerof said disk for throwing outward by centrifugal force, pockets spacedaround the disk to receive the marbles, a marginal flange projectingoutwardly beyondthe pockets with spaced openings formed therearound, anda relatively shiftable ring under said flange bearing game-playingindicia adapted to be selectively shifted to position under saidopenings.

11. In a structure as specified in claim 10, said relatively shiftablering bearing indicia adapted for the playing of a, plurality of gameswith said game device.

12. In a game device of the character described, a disk arranged. torevolve in a horizontal plane, means for guiding marbles to the centerof said disk for throwing outward by centrifugal force, pockets spacedaround the disk to receive the marbles, and a glass sheet revolvablewith said disk spaced above the same a distance to permit free rollingof said marbles.

13. In a structure as specified in claim 3, said ball projecting meanscomprising a plunger gun mounted below said disk arranged to receive andforce the balls upward as a standing column through the center of thedisk, and a springactuated jaw past which said balls are forced one byone by the plunger of said gun to prevent fall of said standing columnof balls.

14:. In a structure as specified in claim 10, said spaced openings beingin number equal to said pockets and each opening aligned with a pocket.

CHARLES W. KEMPER. JOHN T. KEMPER.

